1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a fuel blended with alcohol for use in a diesel engine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A keen realization of the inevitable exhaustion of oil resources in the feature has directed public attention to alcohols as a substituent fuel. A study is pursued on the use of a petroleum fuel blended with alcohol for the operation of a diesel engine. In order for a blend of a petroleum fuel such as diesel fuel or heavy fuel with alcohol to be effectively used in the diesel engine, this blend fuel is desired to retain its behavior as a fuel stably for a long time.
Incidentally, the alcohol and the petroleum fuel such as diesel fuel or heavy fuel exhibit poor miscibility to each other. When the two components are mixed, the resultant mixture is liable to phase separation. It is, therefore, difficult to obtain a stable fuel by mixing these two components.
It has been customary, therefore, to obtain a blend fuel containing about 20% by volume of ethanol by the additional incorporation therein of 5 to 10% of another lower alcohol like propanol as a mutual solvent.
However, the effective blending technique for the methanol-based blended fuels is not established, because the methanol-based blended fuels are decisively inferior to the ethanol-based blended fuels in terms of mutual solubility.